[LinkMan]

Someone who knows, tell me so I don't have to crawl under the car in the cold!

Is this correct: Cougar's parking brake is cable actuated, to the rear calipers?

Is it to both wheels, or just one?

Thanks!

 

[B3NN3TT]

One cable leaves the brake handle in the car, and goes through the floor. It fastens to a connector that attaches it to the 2 rear cables. Each rear cable goes its separate way to either caliper.

 

[JohnnyRed]

rear breaks only is very useful if one were to want to slide around a turn......:biggrin:

 

[LinkMan]

Good, thanks Andy. I think I'm Ok then...

Last night I went out with some friends to see LotR:The Return of the King (Awesome movie, get thee to see it directly :thumbsup: ) at the Lennox 24, and afterwards we headed out to the Outback for beer and grilled meat. As anyone in central Ohio might have noticed, last night was yucky, snow showers during rush hour, and a lot of slushy mess.

After dinner, as I pulled out of my parking space and headed out of the parking lot I noticed my red Brake light was on, as well as my yellow ABS light, and it felt like the engine was really pulling to move the car... 2000 RPMs at 20 MPH instead of 40 MPH. I stopped and pulled up the e-brake again, and put it back down, no change. So I drove about a mile up the road at 25 MPH to hopefully break it free without destroying my pads and rotors, stopped the car, and turned it off. Restarted and the red light went out, but the ABS light still on, so I turned it off once more, and restarted, and the ABS light went out.

Been Ok since then as I drove it today too. Doesn't have any noticeable (to the naked eye) damage to the rotors, and when I looked at it last night it didn't look overheated or smell.

So, I think that was my first experience with a frozen e-brake. I'll have to be more careful next time about using it in crap weather when I don't really need it, but it's a habit that I set it every time.

And John, I got the ABS 'cause I don't want to slide, but thanks for the suggestion

 

[Guest]

Yeah ummm you'll probably want to go ahead and take that in if still under warranty and have your dealership replace your break cable and maybe a caliper. Mine used to lock up all the freaking time and evrytime I'd take it to the dealer it wouldn't lock up so they'd say it was fine and send me home. Then one day it locked up and I was on my way to work so I stopped, called off, and called my dad to come out so we could tow it. Then I realized I was right up the st from the dealership so I got back in at the gas station. Floored it in reverse to back out of my spot and then drove down to the dealership. Parked in front of their doors blocking everything, went in and turned to the guy and asked him if they still thought there was nothing wrong (by this time my rear rotor was glowing red and the whole rear wheel was smoking. So they replaced the brake cable and the whole caliper and rotor on one side and pads overrall.

Still was enough to piss me off though.

If problem persists consult professional.

my .02

K

 

[LinkMan]

Hey Kris

Yea, I'll keep that in mind, 'cause I only have till Feb. 14 to be under warranty. It was late on a Friday so I just wanted to get home, but it happens again, the dealer will hear from me.

 

[Sled]

Its not "frozen" like you might think Mark. Ice most likely has nothing to do with it. With the small amount of driving you do I am very surprised that this is happening but since it is a cougar ya gotta assume the worst. The rear cables have a sort of plastic coating over the actual metal cable. If this gets rubbed away then the cable starts to rust. Symptoms are a difficult pull on the brake lever and a sticking lever/ cable. Just because it releases at the lever doesnt mean the brakes are released. You can very quickly destroy rotors and pads this way. It probably wont happen all the time either so keep a close eye on it. Fairly easy repair and if after warranty it will run you about $60 bones or so for both cables and prolly an hour or so labor. Figure on dropping the exhaust to do it :biggrin: Yeah- kinda a pain. Try to get it covered under warranty. Also, anyone who has smelled boiling brake fluid can tell you it ranks as one of the worst smells ever! You should know if it is burning up.